Streetcar arrives in Savannah for River Street duty

Tim Borchers, foreground, a streetcar specialist with TranSystems, gives directions as the River Street streetcar moves from the trailer to the rails at the Railroad Roundhouse Complex. (Steve Bisson/Savannah Morning News)

A gleaming yellow and green 1930s-era streetcar creaked slowly onto a Savannah railway Wednesday as about two dozen onlookers clapped in approval.

Off to one side, wearing a trim blue suit and a conductor's cap, stood Gary Landrio, an assistant vice president for TranSystems, the Pennsylvania company that refurbished the streetcar.

While conductor and streetcar might have looked old-fashioned, their debut represents a state-of-the-art effort that makes Savannah part of a national resurgence in providing low-impact, highly efficient modes of public transit.

By mid-December, the Savannah trolley - after initial testing and training - will operate along an almost mile-long rail on River Street.

A round-trip fare will cost 50 cents.

Scroll to the bottom to watch test runs of the trolley by the refurbisher.

Because the city didn't want the noise and fumes from diesel or overhead electrical wires along the historic tourist venue, TranSystems developed the first biodiesel-electric hybrid streetcar to operate in North America, said Sean Brandon, the city's director of mobility and parking services.

"There's nothing else like it in the world," said Tim Borchers, a streetcar specialist for TranSystems. "Inside this old car is the highest-tech equipment you've ever seen."

The car will seat about 50 and will accommodate another 50 standing passengers. It is outfitted with wheelchair lifts to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The streetcar system cost the city about $1 million, with nearly $600,000 spent to buy the tracks to River Street and $207,000 to restore the streetcar. Another $100,000 went for engineering costs.

Because Savannah has kept so much of its rail system intact, it was able to save millions in the initial investment and could expand the streetcar system if merited, Borchers said.

The new streetcar is part of the Dot system - the free, downtown transportation network. It is a service of Savannah Mobility Management, a public-private partnership aimed at increasing downtown mobility while decreasing traffic and parking congestion.

For months, River Street merchants have participated in meetings about the streetcar. While most are eager for the increased customer traffic it could generate, some had a few lingering questions.

Chris Myers, regional manager for River Street Sweets, is concerned that a railed car might not have as much maneuverability as a wheeled one. He is concerned it could tie up traffic or hamper deliveries.

City spokesman Bret Bell said city engineers examined the roadway traffic and deliveries and determined the rail car will be able to operate.

Myers does see advantages. The cobblestones and bricks can be difficult to traverse, especially for the handicapped and the elderly, he said. The nostalgia of the vintage streetcar will have appeal, too, he said.

"I'm sure tourists will be like, 'Cool! Let's do that,' " Myers said. "It's one more feather in the cap for River Street."

Trains go under water

While tourists are set to enjoy a new, green trolley car in Savannah, fish are the main beneficiaries of old subway cars near Brunswick.

Earlier this month, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources sank 44 retired New York City Transit subway cars at an artificial reef about 23 miles east of Little Cumberland Island.

The subway cars, each 55 feet long and weighing 11,000 pounds, had been in service with New York City Transit since the 1960s.

Previously deployed subwy cars already are gathering fish at two other Georgia reefs off Ossabaw Island, said Tony Blount, the marine technician responsible for coordinating the subway car project.

The newly enlarged reef, designated HLHA Reef, was originally developed in the early 1970s. In addition to the new subway cars, it is home to 11 vessels and several surplus Army tanks.

Each subway car was thoroughly cleaned and inspected before being loaded on a barge for the five-day trip to Coastal Georgia. They didn't even have graffiti, said Spud Woodward, DNR assistant director for marine fisheries.

"Some still have the New York Transit signs on them," he said.

By late summer, the subway cars should be encrusted with corals and sponges. The habitat will attract bait and game fish such as black sea bass, amberjack and grouper. Those, in turn, are expected to attract both fishermen and scuba divers.

The subway cars form a line a half-mile long, Woodward said. "Divers will be able to swim from one to another."